In January of this year, the future looked bleak for the storied Pacific Southern Railway, a model railroad club based in Rocky Hill, New Jersey. Their decades-old, constantly evolving club layout was facing an existential threat. The HO scale Pacific Southern Railway, spanning 5,000 square feet with over 3,500 feet of handlaid track, began its […]
I am a print subscriber to Classic Toy Trains. Have you reported on the discontinuation of the American Flyer model train line by Lionel? I know your magazine isn’t an “investigative reporting” publication but it’s a curious thing that Lionel would discontinue a line of trains that often showed models as “sold out” on their […]
Q: I’m trying to locate a source for large sheets of styrene. I can find the smaller sheets marketed by Evergreen, but I have been unsuccessful in my search for 4 x 8-foot sheets. Do you know of an online source? I live in the Toledo, Ohio, metro and there aren’t any plastics dealers in […]
Kids have enjoyed playing with toy soldiers for decades, but did you know these playthings date back to ancient Egypt? Author Simon Clark has written a book that chronicles these miniature figures and the folks who collect them. The book begins with a lengthy introduction, loosely covering the 1930s through present day, with a focus […]
What do I collect? I collect the General Mills era of Lionel production (1969-1986), with a focus on the Model Products Corporation (MPC) era from 1970-1972. I like to collect the more obscure and less documented pieces from the later parts of the era as well, since it hasn’t been as heavily documented as the […]
The Lionel Collectors Club of America has announced increases to their membership. In a recent LCCA email newsletter, the group announced that rising prices from vendors have affected expenses. Effective August 1, 2025, membership prices will change to: Regular Membership: $48.00 annually ($5.00 increase). Electronic Membership: $30.00 annually ($3.00 increase). Junior Membership: $30.00 per annually […]
Q: I have a bedroom sized N scale railroad with a four track staging/fiddle yard on one wall. I would like to run a branch line to a quarry over the staging, but I am concerned about the gradient to get the tracks to the right height. I will need about 6″ clearance for my […]
The plan is simple: a long loop-to-loop (folded dog-bone) single-track line. There are several passing sidings to allow three trains to be on the line at the same time with a long run between return loops. Wireless controls are always nice, but a classic Lionel type-ZW transformer with a switch control panel board is really […]
Do you have any information, including a wiring diagram, that can help me wire my Lionel No. 450 Operating Signal Bridge using AC relays? Thanks! — Fred Richmond As Lionel operators certainly know, the 450 Signal Bridge, which was designed to span two lines of track, is equipped with two signal heads. They have bayonet-mounted […]
My layout, The “Casey” Line, was published in the September 2021 Classic Toy Trains. My 30-year project was based on reading a boxful of 1950’s Model Railroader magazines and compiling a list of the best features on model railroads from those articles. Fortunately, I was able to include all the scenic features recommended in those […]
MTH Electric Trains continues its presence in the model railroad world, focusing on O, Standard, and One Gauge products. The O gauge lineup has mainly been previously-offered locomotives and rolling stock from the tooling that’s in a shared agreement with Atlas or wasn’t sold to Lionel. Among their offerings, the Norfolk & Western J-class 4-8-4 […]
Name: Neal Schorr’s Pennsylvania RR Middle DivisionGauge: O scale (1:48)Dimensions: 38 x 45 feet (maximum dimensions)Track: Atlas O code 215 three-rail flextrackTurnouts: Atlas O, Ross Custom SwitchesMotive power and rolling stock: Atlas O, Golden Gate Depot, K-Line, Lionel, WeaverControls: Lionel TrainMaster Command Control Structures: Atlas O, DPM, Lionel, MTH, scratchbuilt, Wm. K. WalthersFigures: Arttista, Woodland […]
